The Retirement Newsletter: OK — this is it, my first week of retirement

Issue Number: 2 — what did I do?

Photo by Author — My first day of retirement ice cream

Welcome

Welcome to issue number 2 — my first week of retirement.

It has been an exciting week, and it doesn’t feel like I am retired, as last week was a short working week because of Easter. I think next week, a full working week, will be more telling.

My first day of retirement

Waking up on my first morning of retirement was odd.

I have woken up at the same time for years, with no alarm, and my first day of retirement was the same. But this time, it was different. As I lay there in bed, I realised there was no ‘voice’ in my head planning my work day. There was silence. The ‘voice’ had been there for as long as I have worked, and now it was gone. It felt like I had lost a friend, but at the same time, it was relaxing — finally, some peace. It was a good start.

In November 2021 (Issue -114 — 10 things I am going to do on the first day of my retirement), I wrote about ten things I would do on the first day of my retirement. So, how did my plans go?

1. Have a leisurely breakfast

As I said back in November 2021 — “I can't remember the last time I had a leisurely breakfast. A breakfast where I wasn't gulping down red-hot tea as I rushed out the door. During the lockdowns in the pandemic, I took my tea to my home office — no sitting around downstairs drinking tea. Even on holidays and at weekends, I always seem to be rushing off somewhere straight after breakfast. I want a leisurely breakfast — not too much to ask for?” Well, this didn’t happen. Other commitments meant I had to rush out of the door, and I had no leisurely breakfast.

2. Delete all Microsoft products from my computer and phone

This is a yes and no. I have removed all Microsoft products from my desktop computer but still have them on a laptop and my phone. I didn’t just delete the programs; I wiped the hard drive and reinstalled the operating system. My desktop computer now seems to be running better, and it is nice not to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

I kept the programs on a laptop and my phone in case I needed them in the next few months.

3. Not look at work email

I didn’t look at it.

As I was approaching my last few days of work, I achieved inbox zero—a very rare event for me.

I had nothing in my email inbox, and it felt odd. I kept checking my email to see if it was still working.

What is currently freaking me out is ‘calendar zero’. I have nothing in my diary. I have whole weeks of nothing. The last time that happened was in 1998 when I was working as a post-doctoral research fellow in the States.

4. Stare out of the lounge window for 10 minutes

Well, this is another yes and no. I did spend 10 minutes staring out of a window, but it wasn’t the lounge.

As I sat removing Microsoft programs from my computer, I became transfixed by some Red Kites doing acrobats across a nearby field. I lost a good 10 minutes looking out the window. So, yes, I stared out the window, but it wasn’t the lounge.

5. Go for a long walk and not feel guilty that I am out walking on what would have been a workday.

Guilt plays a big part in my life. I feel guilty when not doing something with an 'output'. So, I compromised. I needed to go shopping, so I took the long route to town across some fields and through a wood. I came back the long way along the river. Long walk done and I didn’t feel guilty. Tick, done.

6. Not look at my to-do list

I no longer have a work to-do list, so I didn’t look at it. I now have a retirement to-do list, and I didn’t look at that either. Another thing achieved.

7. Not look at my watch

This was an impossible ask — I looked at my watch. I mean, who doesn’t look at their watch?

8. Meet a friend for a very lazy lunch

Yep, this was another ‘tick done’. I went for a lovely lunch in a pub with a friend. It could have been lazier. However, compared to my lunches when working, it was very lazy.

9. Go to the cinema in the afternoon

I tried to go to the cinema, but there was nothing on that I wanted to see.

10. Sit by a river, eat an ice cream, and watch the world go by.

This one was originally going to be tough, as I had planned to retire in January — the middle of the winter. However, it was late March, and, on my walk, I found an ice cream place open by the river. Tick, done. (The evidence is the photo at the top of the newsletter.)

I think I completed around six of the ten tasks, so it’s not too bad. I will try to complete the others over the coming weeks.

Do you have a wish list for the first day of retirement? If you do, why not share it below? If you don’t, make one and see what is on it.

Travel — Nostalgia Corner

This week, here are some stories from my last few days in Bali:

• Bali — Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Bali, Indonesia — Interesting and disappointing. It’s definitely aimed at the tourists, with the locals demanding money if you take their photo.

• Bali — Taman Curry, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia — Dinner on my last night in Bali. The hat on the rice amused me.

• Bali — Ubud, Bali, Indonesia — a review, and Eat, Pray, Love — The curse of Eat, Pray, Love.

• Bali — Summary — Bali, Indonesia — A summary of my time in Bali.

Next week, posts from my first time in Hong Kong.

Next week

Next week, in issue 3 (it still seems odd to be in positive numbers), I will continue to explore how my retirement is going. Is it what I expected?

Thanks

Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter, and please don't hesitate to share it with your friends or on social media using the buttons below.

If you want to say 'thanks' to the newsletter, why not buy me a cup of tea?

Until next time,

Nick

PS: If you want to contribute something to the newsletter—a story, advice, or anything else — please get in touch.